Resilient support



4 sheets-sneu 1v o Q I lNvElflTR @ms /Ie ,4, ATToRNEY J. PILIERO RESILIENT SUPPORTS o 0 @llo 0 o o o Filed Feb. 10. 1941 March 9, 1943.

March 9, 1943. J. PILIER ,RESILIENT SUPPORTS mea Feb.`1o.1941

4 Sheets-Sheet 2 ,a ATTORNEY J. PILIERO RESILIENT' SUPPORTS March 9, 1943.

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Patented Mar. 9, 1943 2,313,171 y REsILIENT SUPPORT James Piliero, Astoria, N. Y.,`assignor to Dickson Wire & Cable Corp., Long Island City, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application February 10, 1941, Serial No. 378,181

11 Claims.

This invention relates to resilient supports and more particularly to the type of resilient supports known generally as spring bottoms.

Spring bottoms made in accordance with the invention are particularly well adapted for bed springs; for furniture, such as chairs, divans and the like, for vehicle seats, and other upholstered parts such as automobile back rests and interiors, and for other similar uses where a resilient support is desired to form a base upon which to support stuffed or upholstered coverings.

Among the characteristics desired in resilient lsupports of the type to which this invention relates are that the support or bottom (herein referred to generally as spring bottom) bear the load placed upon it without undue or permanent sagging; that it have suicient flexibility to conform to the shape of the body and distribute the load sufficiently to prevent undue strains upon -any particular or single member; that it have suicient resiliency to provide a comfortable support for the person when in use; that it yield when stressed and return to its original position when the stress is relieved without squeaking, scraping or clicking, and that it may be manufactured and assembled with the article with which it may be used economically and with facility.

The invention lends itself admirably to the accomplishment of the foregoing objectives as well as others mentioned hereinafter.

According to one form of the invention, an upper and lower frame is provided. The lower frame provides support for a plurality of elliptical springs which are connected to a plurality of strips. The strips are connected to the upper frame and provide a resilient supporting surface. The supporting surface strips may be in- `interconnected in various combinations with the upper frame and with each other and means are provided to prevent undesirable longitudinal and lateral play or movement of the upper frame and supporting surface relative to the lower frame.

Various other features and advantages of the` invention will be apparent from the following particular description and from an inspection of the accompanying drawings.

Although the novel features which are believed to be characteristic of this invention will be particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto, the invention itself, as to its objects and advantages, and the manner in which it may be carried out, may be better understood by referring to the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings Y forming a part herein, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a spring bottom construtced in accordance withV the invention, the particular structure being a bed spring for supporting a mattress or the like;

Fig. 2 is a side view in elevation of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 `is a partial top plan view of the structure shown in Fig. 1 but to larger scale with parts broken away;

Fig. 4 is a View on line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a view on line 5 5 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a view on line 6 6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 7 is a partial view in elevation and cross section of a modified form of structure showing a supporting surface of different configuration as distinguished from a flat surface;

Fig. 8 is a partial top plan view of another modification showing another manner of interconnecting the strips;

Fig. 9 is a partial top Vplan view of another modification in whichk the surface strips and elliptical springs are made from separate stock;

Fig. 10 is a partialview in perspective of a preferred form of elliptical spring in which the upper half thereof is cut or stamped from the strip stock; and Y Fig. 11 is a view of a blank from which elliptical springs may be formed integral with the strips.

In the following description and in the claims, various details will be identified by specific names for convenience, but they are intended to be as generic in their application as the art will permit. Like reference characters denote like parts in the several figures of the drawings.

For purposes of-illustration a preferred em-V bodiment of hte invention will be described in connection with Va spring bottom for a bed, commonly known as a bed spring'.

Referring now to the structure of thek bed spring disclosed in the drawings (see Figs. 1-6) the lower frame comprises side rails I0, I I and end rails I2, I3. These may be made from suitable angle or channel steel stock and joined as by welding or riveting to form corners. 'I'he side rails I0 and II are connected by cross members I4 which may be of angle or channel-steel stock suitably iixed to the side rails, as by welding or riveting. These cross members are arranged in spaced relation and form bottom supports for the elliptical springs (described hereinafter) and :also .add strength and rigidity to the bottom rame.- Y

"strips 4 I The upper frame comprises side rails I5, IS and end rails II, I8 connected, as by welding, to form corners I9, 20, 2| and 22. This upper frame also may be formed of channel or angle steel stock.

The cross members I4 provide supports for the elliptical springs designated generally by reference character 23, which are preferably-arranged in spaced staggered relation, as may be observed more clearly in Fig. 3.

A typical elliptical spring comprises an upper half and a lower half which may be made separately from suitable flat steel stock and -then xed to the surface strips. Or the ellipticals may be made integral with the strips. That is tosay,

strip steel stock of desired width and length may be stamped out to form an integral blank such as disclosed in Fig. 1l.

The blank comprises parallel flat strands 24 and 25 (see Fig. 11) and integrally connected therewith are cross strips 26. Extending nfrom each cross strip 26 are leaf portions A2'I and 28 terminating in slightlyjwider' portions 2'9 and 30 forming `heads Vof the half elliptical spring designated generally by reference character 3-I (see Fig. 10). By bending the leaf portions l2I and 28 and flattening out the wider portions 2S and "3S, as shown in Fig. 10, the strip so formed -providesa plurality of half elliptical leaf springs integral with the strip designated generally 4by reference character 32. Y

The lower -half of the lelliptical A(designated generally by reference 'character 33) may be made from separate sheet stock and *formedfto complement the upper half elliptical 3l. The lower half elliptical `comprises a cross piece -34 from which extend leaf members 35 and 36 terminatingvin headv pieces 31 and 38. Cross pieces 26 provided with-apertures 39 and 40 to accommodate rivets for attaching cross connecting strips 4I or yielding connecting means such as the helical 'springs 42 (see Fig. 3). The cross piece 34 forming a supporting base of the lower half ellipticalwtsee Fig. v10) 'is provided with apertures 44 vand 45 for iixing it, as by Ahollow rivets, to the cross ymembers I4 of Vthe lower frame. When 'the upper half elliptical 3l isplaced-in position vwith its complementary lower half 33, the head portions '29 andV 3l register with each other and head portions 38 and `38 register with each other. VThe heads are connected by helical springs 46, the

Vhookends of which pass through-registering-apertures 41.

l*Having describeda typical elliptical spring of the invention, `it will be observed that the ends of the strip Aare anchored to theend'rails I1 and I8 by yielding means such `as helical springs -42 (see Fig. I). The surface strips'32 are arranged in parallel relation extending longitudinally and the strips nearest the side rails may loe-anchored thereto, as by strips jand hollow rivets 5I (Figs. 1 and 6) or byhelical springs A42 as shown in Figs. 8 and 9.

Preferably, the strips forming the upper supporting surface of the bed spring are arranged as shown in Fig. 1 (see also Fig. 3) in'groups of three,'save for the strips next adjacent the side rails. The'three strips making upA what might be termed a section, are connected at the cross pieces A.

26 of the ellipticals by means of cross connecting which may be of thin metal and of -a length corresponding to the combined width of the'three stripsarranged in spaced relationis'ee a,'b and c Fig. 3). These cross connecting strips',I 4I may be xed to the longitudinal str1ps^32 by any suitable means, as by welding or by hollow rivets 5I. The sections thus formed may then be connected by helical springs 42.

When the parts heretofore mentioned are set up and interconnected as shown and described it will be observed that the upper and lower frames are maintained in substantially fixed parallel spaced relation. There will be practically no lateral play between the upper and lower frames relative to each other. To prevent longitudinal play, a stabilizer is provided. This may comprise a Vmetal strip 63 (see Figs. 1, 4 and 5), one end 'EI of which may be pivotally connected as by rivets 65 to a corner of the upper frame, the other -end `62 of which is connected to a yielding 'resilient means such as a helical spring 63 which in turn may be anchored to a lug 64 fixed to the side rail about midway of the side rail of the lower frame. Four such stabilizers are desirable, one for each corner. By the provision of these-stabilizers undesirable-longitudinal play of the upper and lower frames relative fto-ea'ch other is eliminated.

A bed spring or-sprling'bottoin 'thus constructed meets th'e requirements necessary to its intended purpose. Thearrangernent ofthe iellip tical springs may besuch 'as Lto produce the comfortable feeling of Vva so-calle'd `soft spring, yet there is sufficient resiliency to afford ample 'rigidity with the sensation of 'iiim support.

When a load is placed 4upon thefresilientisupporting surface 'formed by the vsurface supporting strips, vthe elliptical 'springs tend to .flatten out. Simultaneously, there is suiicientyield or give when the helicals 42 are stressed to permit the :IieXible metal surface'supporting strips 32`to assume the-'general shape or contour Ici the load. Meanwhile, 'the 'helicals vli 'exert `a force 'tending to oppose the distention of the elliptical spring headsand the ilattening out ofthe ellipticals. The Vrespective vhook 'ends of Yh'elicals 4.5 are anchored `through the registering apertures 41 of the registered heads of the half ellipticals, thus the whole elliptical'is kept -in fproper alignment when it is stressed, yet with suicient give Von the various single members which are "distehded to vproduce the vdesired combined resilient effect. When the load is removed the various stressed members quickly `resume ytheir original positions without obnoxious squeak or undesirable noise.

In the modication illustrated in Fig. A8, the surface forming strips, instead of being arranged in groups-of three parallel strips to form three strip .sections as Ihereinbefore described, may be connected in such manner 'that helical springs 42 connect -each strip 13,2 to its adjacent strip. The side strips v32a may be connected'to the side rails I5 and AIii of 'theupperfrarne by helicals '42. v'The Vends of the strips'may in like fashion be connected 'b'y 'helicals '42' 'to the "end rails I? and 'I8 of ltheiipper frame.

As illustrated'ih Fig.9,"fl`a`t'strips 132 'may be used'in place of the'strips 32' Awhich 'have been stamped out 'or'sten'ciled "to form'inte'gral half ellipticals. In Vvsuch cases two halifellipticals, such as the lower half 'ellipticals (aS shown in Fig. 10) may be'connect'ed andthe 'elliptical thus formed, designated generally by reference character 123, may be secured tc the flat'strlp I32`as byhollow rivets |51. The strips 'may then be connected to the frames and to `eachother and to thelower vframe supporting members in Such manner lor manners -las her'einbefore described.

If it is desired to make a spring bottom which requires a resilient supporting surface other than a flat or level resilient supporting surface, such, for example, as a resilient spring bottom support for an automobile seat, or other upholstered part, this may be accomplished within the contemplation of the invention.

Referring to the construction illustrated in Fig. 7, elliptical springs |23a, b, c, d, e, and f of diiferent sizes and heights, constructed as hereinbefore described, may be arranged as desired and iixed to the supporting members Ma of the lower frame. The upper resilient surface of the spring bottom may be formed by longitudinally extending strips 3217, c, d, e and f connected by cross connecting strips I and itl. In like manner as heretofore described, the ellipticals of diilerent heights may be connected to the strips. Y

As shown in the illustrative drawings (Fig. '7) -the surface strip 132i: is connected to the side rail I6a by connecting strip H50 and to its adjacent surface strip i320 by helicals 52. Strips |320, d, e and are interconnected to form a section of four parallel surface strips by cross connecting strips lill shaped to conform to the surface configuration presented by the elliptical springs I 23e, d, e and f.

Thus it will be observed that a resilient supporting surface having the characteristics hereinbefore described may be produced according to the invention which may be of various desirable conformations as distinguished from a fiat resilient supporting surface. Such surface configurations are admirably suited to vehicle seats and odd shaped objects and parts where upholstering is applied.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that various modifications within the contemplation of the invention will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. And while certain novel features of the invention have been disclosed herein and are pointed out in the annexed claims, it will be understood that various omissions and changes may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A spring bottom which comprises a lower and an upper frame, a plurality of elliptical springs mounted on said lower frame, means including strips mounted on said springs forming a resilient load supporting surface, said elliptical springs including an upper half elliptical having outwardly directed, oppositely disposed apertured head portions and a lower half elliptical having corresponding outwardly directed, oppositely disposed apertured head portions, the apertures in the head portions of the upper and lower half ellipticals being in registered alignment, helical springs having their ends hooked through saidY registered aligned apertures to maintain said head portions in aligned registry and exerting a force tending to oppose distention of said oppositely disposed heads when a load is placed on said surface tending to distend said oppositely disposed heads.

2. A spring bottom which comprises a lower `and an upper frame, a plurality of elliptical springs mounted on one of said frames, means including strips mounted on said springs forming a resilient load supporting surface, said springs including an upper semi-elliptical having outwardly directed, oppositely disposed apertured head portions and a lower semi-elliptical having corresponding outwardly directed, oppositely dis'- posed apertured head portions,` apertures in said upper and lower head portionsin aligned registry, and yieldable resilient means extending through the aligned apertures to maintain said upper and lower head portions in registered face to face engagement and exerting a force opposingv distention of the oppositely disposed head portions when a lo-ad is placed on said surface causing a flattening of said ellipticals.

3. A spring bottom comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, cross members for strengthening said lower frame and affording supports for springs, elliptical springs mounted on said members, said elliptical springs having an upper half having outwardly directed apertured heads and a lower half having corresponding outwardly directed apertured heads, means connecting the apertured heads of said upper half ellipticals in face to face registered contact with the corresponding heads of said lower half elliptical, said means comprising helical springs hooked through the apertures of said heads, flexible lstrips mounted on said elliptical springs, said strips being arranged in rows and interconnected with each other and resiliently connected to said upper frame and forming a resilient supporting surface, and yieldable resilient means connected to said upper and lower frames acting as a stabilizerto prevent play between said upper and lower frames relative to each other.

4. A spring bottom which comprises a lower frame, a plurality of supporting members connecting with said lower frame, a plurality of elliptical springs having bases xed to said supporting members, each of said elliptical springs comprising an upper and a lower semi-elliptical member each having outwardly directed corresponding head portions, the outwardly directed head portions of said upper semi-elliptical members connected in face to face registered contact with the corresponding outwardly directed head portions of said lower semi-elliptical members forming in each elliptical spring two pairs of oppositely disposed face to face head portions, resilient means connecting each pair of Vface to face head portions with its oppositely disposed pair of face to face head portions and exerting a force tending to oppose distention of said semielliptical members when a force is applied tending to iiatten said elliptical springs, means including surface supporting members fixed to the upper semi-elliptical members of said elliptical springs forming a resilient load supporting surface, an

upper frame, and means connecting the resilient load supporting surface to said upper frame.

5. A spring bottom which comprises a lower frame, a plurality of supporting members connecting with said lower frame, a plurality of elliptical springs having bases xed to said supporting members, each of said elliptical springs comprising an upper and a lower semi-elliptical members when a force is applied tending to atten said elliptical springs, means including surface supporting'members xed to the upper halves of said elliptical springs forming a resilient load vsupporting surface, an upper frame, means connecting the resilient load supporting surface to said upper frame, and stabilizers connected to said upper and lower frames to :inhibit play ibetween said upper frame and Vlower `frames relative to each other when a lateral force is exerted on said load supporting surface.

6. In a spring lbottom having a resilient load '1 .said resilient means comprising helical springs having hooked ends passing through said aligned apertures and serving to maintain said two half sections in alignment and exerting a orcetending to oppose distention of said oppositely disposed heads.

7 A spring bottom comprising an upper frame and a lower frame, cross members for strength- `ening said lower frame and aording supports for springs, elliptical springs Yof .diiferent and graduated heights mounted on said members, each of said elliptical springs comprising an upper half section having outwardly directed oppositely disposed head portions, a complementary lower half section having outwardlyldirected oppositely disposed head portions in `face to face 'contact and linked to the corresponding head portions of said upper half section, helical springs .connecting the oppositely disposed linked I contacting head portions and maintaining .them under :tension, flexible strips mounted on said elliptical springs of different and graduated heights, said strips being mounted in orderly graduated darrangement as distinguished from haphazard arrangement7 said strips being `arranged in rows and interconnected with each other, and to said yupper frame and forming a resilient supporting surface of generally rounded, as distinguished from at, conformation.

8. A spring bottom comprising an upper .frame and a lower frame, cross members for strengthening said lower frame and affording supports for springs, elliptical springs of dierent and graduated heights mounted on said members, each of said elliptical springs comprising an upper half section having outwardly-directed oppositely disposed head portions, Va complementary lower half section having outwardly directed oppositely disposed head portions in face vto face contact and linked to the corresponding head portions of said upper half section, Yhelical springs vconnecting the oppositely disposed linked contacting head portions and maintaining them under tension, said elliptical springs being mounted-onsaid cross members in orderly graduated arrangement as distinguished from haphazard arrangement,

flexible strips mounted on said ellipticalsprings, said strips being arranged in rows and .interconnected with each other, and to said upper frame and forming an uneven and generally .rounded resilient supporting surface, las distinguished:

from a flat surface, and yieldable resilient means connected to said upper and lower frames acting as a stabilizer to prevent play between said upper and lower frames relative to each other.

9. A spring bottom which comprises a lower frame having side and end rails, a plurality of supporting members arranged in parallel relation connecting with said side railsy a plurality of elliptical springs of graduated heights having bases xed to said supporting members, each of said elliptical springs comprising an upper half section having outwardly directed oppositely disposed head portions, apertures in said lhead portions, a lower half section complementary to said upper half section having corresponding outwardly directed oppositely disposed head portions in registry and face to face contact with the head portions of said upper half section, `apertures in the-head portions of said lower half section in alignment with the apertures -of the head portions of said upper half section, helical springs having hooked ends extending through aligned apertures and connecting Vsaid oppositely disposed heads to maintain said upper and lower half sections in alignment and exerting a force tending to oppose distention of vsaid heads when a force is applied tending to lilatten said elliptical springs, said elliptical springs -being arranged in orderly and graduated fashion as distinguished from haphazard arrangement, and surface Ysupporting strips fixed to the upper half of said elliptical springs of different heights whereby to form a resilient load supporting surface of raised and graduated, as distinguished from flat, conformation.

10. A spring bottom which comprises a lower frame having side and end rails, a plurality of supporting members arranged in spaced parallel relation connecting with said side rails, a plurality of elliptical springs spaced in parallel staggered relation having bases fixed to saidsupporting members, each of said elliptical springs comprising an upper half section `having outwardly directed oppositely disposed apertured heads, a complementary lower half section having outwardly directed oppositely disposed apertured heads in face to face contact with lthe Iheads of said upper half section and linked thereto to .maintain said Acontacting heads in registry, helical lsprings having ytheir ends extending through the apertures to link said corresponding half sections together and connecting said oppositely disposed contacting heads to maintain saidupper and lower halves in alignment and exerting a force tending to oppose distention of -said heads when a force is applied tending to Aflatten said elliptical springs, surface supporting strips fixed to the upper half of said elliptical springs and arranged in parallel spaced relation, an upper frame having side and end rails,yielding-resilient means connecting the ends of said strips to said end rails, means connecting the surface strips next adjacent tothe side rails of the -upper frame to said side rails, and means connecting adjacent surface supporting strips to each other whereby to form a ilexible resilient load supporting surface.

11. A spring bottom which comprises a lower ingimemberseach of saidelliptical springs 'comprising an upper half section .having Youtwardly directed oppositely disposed apertured heads, a complementary lower half section having outwardly directed oppositely disposed apertured heads in face to face contact with the heads of said upper half section and linked thereto to maintain said contacting heads in registry, helical springs having their ends extending through the apertured heads and connecting said oppositely disposed contacting heads to maintain vlsaid upper and lower halves in alignment and exerting a force tending to oppose distention of said heads when a force is applied tending to flatten said elliptical springs, surface supporting strips fixed `to the upper half of said elliptical springs and arranged in parallel spaced relation, an upper frame having side and end rails, yielding resilient y means connecting the ends of said strips to said end rails, means connecting the surface strips next adjacent to the side rails of the upper frame to said side rails, means connecting adjacent surface supporting strips to each other whereby to form a flexible resilient load supporting surface, and stabilizers connected to said upper and lower frames to inhibit play between said upper frame and lower frame relative to each other when a lateral force is exerted on said load supporting 

